Narrow fabric loom

ABSTRACT

A narrow loom fabric having a common control linkage for positively and synchronously moving an oscillatable reed shaft and a weft inserter drive shaft. The arrangement is such that the power is first applied to a shaft that drives the weft inserter drive shaft and then is applied to the reed shaft by means of the same linkage so as to form a series drive for the weft inserter and the reed.

United States Patent 11 1 Griffith Aug. 26, 1975 [5 NARROW FABRIC LO0M 3,064,689 11 H962 Piazzolla et al 139/124 A 3,519, 29 7 97 [76] Inventor: John Dalton Griffith, 59 0 l 0 p'amlla A Havenbaulk Ave., Littleover, pfma Ex er Henry S Jaudon Db, zry ammer y Derbyshlre"Great Bntdm Attorney, Agent, or Firm-James E. Nilles [22] Filed: Feb. 8, 1974 [2]] App]. N0.: 440,772 [57] ABSTRACT A narrow loom fabric having a common control link- 52 us. c1. 139/123 g for positively and synchronously moving an Oscil- [51] Int. Cl? D031) 47/06 liable reed shaft and a Weft inserter drive Shaft. The 58 Field of Search 139/122 R, 127 P, 188, arrangement is such that the Power is first applied to 9 139/191; 74/25,: 29 Shaft that drives the weft inserter drive shaft and then is applied to the reed shaft by means of the same link- [56] References Cited age so as to form a series drive for the weft inserter UNITED STATES PATENTS and the reed- 2,5()2,735 4/1950 Manning 139/[24 R 5 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 1 NARROW FABRIC LOOM AT 6UND' This invention concerns narrowfabric looms and 'in particular looms-in" which-weft is. inserted by'the. use of a weft inserter needle or, rapier.

SUMMARY I The object of the present invention is to provide a relatively simple, low'mass, low inertia, motion control means for at least the weft inserter and reed whereby an increase in the rate of operation of these parts of the loom, as compared toknown looms, can be achieved.

Thus accordin g'to the present invention, a narrow fabric loom is characterised by the provision of a motion control means for atfleast a weft inserter and a reed comprising a power input shaft having an eccentric means thereon, a connecting "means to'a bell crank lever arranged to cause oscillation of a weft inserter drive and synchronously to cause reciprocation of a reed. H

The invention will now be described further, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of a motion control means for the weft inserter means and the reed of a loom.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a schematic perspective view of part of a loom showing a motion control means and FIG. 2 is a schematic elevation of a mechanism like that of FIG. 1 showing additional loom parts and showing in chain line a modification which can be made.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in the drawings there is provided a shaft 10 which is arranged to be driven by means (not shown). At one end of the shaft 10 is provided a disc 11 having an eccentric pin 12 thereon to which is connected one end ofa connecting rod 13. If desired the shaft 10, disc 11 and pin 12 may be formed as a crank-shaft and also if desired there may be a disc 11 and pin 12, or the equivalent thereof, at each end of the shaft 10 in order that a connecting rod 13 may be mounted at each end of the shaft 10. The shaft 10 is mounted in bearings (not shown) in a loom frame LF (indicated in FIG. 2). The loom frame is apertured as at LF' and LF" for the passage therethrough of parts of the motion control means yet to be described. Spaced from the shaft 10 and in parallelism therewith is a second shaft 14 having thereon, at spaced intervals along its length, a series of segmental bevel gears 15. In the arrangement being described there are two such bevel gears 15 but, of course, there may be more than two, or, in fact, there may only be one. Fixed on the end of the second shaft 14 (or on both ends if desired) is a bell crank lever 16. The lever 16 is mounted on the second shaft 14 at the junction of its two arms. One arm 16a of the bell crank lever is connected to the connecting rod 13 and the other arm 16b is connected to a second connecting rod 17 (hereinafter referred to). The two connecting rods 13 and 17 are conveniently mounted in bifurcated ends of the arms 16a, 1612 by means of connecting pins 18.

Meshing with the bevel gears 15 are bevel pinions 19 each of which is mounted on one end of a weft inserter drive shaft 20 which is carried in bearings (not shown) in the loom frame (not shown). The weft inserter drive shafts 20 have their axes at right angles to the second shaft 14 and in the loom they wouldbe vertically located. At their upper ends the drive shafts 20 carry weft inserter arms 2l"on the free ends of which are mounted weft inserters 22 of arcuate form. V

T he free end of the connecting rod 17 (or both of them if one is provided (at each end of the second shaft 14) is mounted by means of a connecting pin 23 to a link lever'24 mounted h oh a reed shaft 25 which is mounted in the loom frame (not shown) by means of bearings (not shown). The reed shaft 25 is in spaced parallel relationship with the second shaft 14.

The reed shaft 25 is provided with apair of reed mounting blocks 26 onto which are clamped reeds 27 in any known manner.

The arrow 28 indicates the direction of rotation of the shaft 10 and the double headed arrows 29 and 30 show respectively the direction of oscillation of the second shaft 14 and the reed shaft 25 whilst the double headed arrows 31 indicate the direction of oscillation of the drive shafts 20 of the weft inserter 22. i

In the loom being described two fabrics can be woven side-by-side, the warp yarns and the fabric being indicated by the broken lines 32.

FIG. 2 of the drawings shows in addition two heald frames HF and HF. To weave a single 1 and l weave fabric it is possible to use only two heald frames but usually there will be more to avoid unnecessary crowning of the warp yarns in the heald frames.

In operation the shaft 10 is rotated continuously to cause, via the connecting rod 13 and the bell crank lever 16, oscillation of the second shaft 14, and, via the second connecting rod 17 and link lever 24 oscillation of the reed shaft 25.

As the second shaft 14 oscillates the meshing bevel gears 15 and 19 oscillate the drive shafts 20 and thus the weft inserters 22.

The timing of the apparatus is such that when the weft inserters are fully entered into the warp shed the reeds are in their rearmost position, that is remote from the fell of the fabric As the weft inserters 22 are retracted from the shed the reeds 27 move to the beat up position when the weft inserters 22 are fully removed from the shed.

It is found that by using the apparatus described very high speeds of operation, in excess of four thousand picks per minute can be achieved.

The arrangement is such that there is a dwell period for the reeds 27 this being achieved by the positioning of the fulcrums l8 and 23 of the second connecting rod 17. The bearings of the shafts 10 and 14 and the connecting rods 13 and 17 are pressure lubricated by providing oilways within the shafts and by feeding oil under pressure to the bearings.

If desired there may be provided a loom in which there is only a single weft inserter and reed, or in fact by making the shafts 14 and 26 of sufficient length more than two weft inserters and reeds may be mounted thereon.

It is also possible, by making the drive shafts 20 of the weft inserters 22 of sufficient length, to provide two weft inserters on the shafts and thus the possibility of weaving two fabrics, one above the other, can be provided for. This possibility is shown in FIG. 2 wherein chain lines are used to indicate the mounting of a second weft inserter 22:: on the shaft 20.

What I claim is:

l. A narrow fabric loom comprising an oscillatable reed shaft, a reed mounted on said reed shaft for oscillation therewith, a weft inserter drive shaft, a pinion fixed to said inserter drive shaft. and a weft inscrter mounted on said drive shaft; control means for said reed shaft and inserter drive shaft and comprising, a power input shaft; eccentric means on said input shaft, a second shaft, a segmented gear fixed to said second shaft for periodic meshing with said pinion, a bell crank lever fixed intermediate its length to said second shaft,

a first connecting means between said eccentric means and said crank lever, and a second connecting means between said crank lever and said reed shaft, whereby rotation of said input shaft causes oscillation of said inserter drive shaft and synchronous oscillation of said reed.

2. A narrow fabric loom as claimed in claim 1 in which the second connecting means includes a link lever fixed on said reed shaft.

3. A narrow fabric loom as claimed in claim 1 in which the weft inserter drive shaft carries a weft inserter arm having a weft insertion needle.

4. A narrow fabric loom as claimed in claim 1 in which the eccentric means comprises a disc mounted on the power input shaft, the disc having an eccentrically positioned pin thereon upon which is rotationally mounted the first connecting means to said bell crank lever.

5. A narrow fabric loom having a reed carrying shaft carrying at least one reed, a drive shaft carrying gear drive means for at least one weft insertion means and a drive means, a single'motion control means common to said reed shaft and said drive shaft, said motion control means including a power input shaft, an eccentric means on said power input shaft, a bell crank lever fixedly mounted on said drive shaft, a connecting means between said bell crank lever and said eccentric means operable to oscillate said bell crank lever, and a linkage connected to said bell crank lever and said reed carrying shaft whereby said drive shaft and said reed carrying shaft may be synchronously driven from said drive means. 

1. A narrow fabric loom comprising an oscillatable reed shaft, a reed mounted on said reed shaft for oscillation therewith, a weft inserter drive shaft, a pinion fixed to said inserter drive shaft, and a weft inserter mounted on said drive shaft; control means for said reed shaft and inserter drive shaft and comprising, a power input shaft, eccentric means on said input shaft, a second shaft, a segmented gear fixed to said second shaft for periodic meshing with said pinion, a bell crank lever fixed intermediate its length to said second shaft, a first connecting means between said eccentric means and said crank lever, and a second connecting means between saId crank lever and said reed shaft, whereby rotation of said input shaft cuases oscillation of said inserter drive shaft and synchronous oscillation of said reed.
 2. A narrow fabric loom as claimed in claim 1 in which the second connecting means includes a link lever fixed on said reed shaft.
 3. A narrow fabric loom as claimed in claim 1 in which the weft inserter drive shaft carries a weft inserter arm having a weft insertion needle.
 4. A narrow fabric loom as claimed in claim 1 in which the eccentric means comprises a disc mounted on the power input shaft, the disc having an eccentrically positioned pin thereon upon which is rotationally mounted the first connecting means to said bell crank lever.
 5. A narrow fabric loom having a reed carrying shaft carrying at least one reed, a drive shaft carrying gear drive means for at least one weft insertion means and a drive means, a single motion control means common to said reed shaft and said drive shaft, said motion control means including a power input shaft, an eccentric means on said power input shaft, a bell crank lever fixedly mounted on said drive shaft, a connecting means between said bell crank lever and said eccentric means operable to oscillate said bell crank lever, and a linkage connected to said bell crank lever and said reed carrying shaft whereby said drive shaft and said reed carrying shaft may be synchronously driven from said drive means. 